LA JOLLA, Calif. – No. 4 Hawai'i Pacific University defeated No. 5 Academy of Art 4-2 in a match played to the clinching point due to threatening weather.
 
The fourth ranked Sharks (4-0) handed the fifth ranked Urban Knights (3-1) their first loss of the season.
 
Starting the match three hours early because of the forecast, Academy of Art opened the match by taking the doubles point. ARTU's fifth ranked doubles pair of twins Alma and Klara Thell-Lenntorp breezed by HPU's Elodie Busson and Elisa Elhadj 6-1 at No. 1, and Monika Stanikova and Paula Alcantara beat Sharks Sarah Ikioka and Debora Echeverria 6-4. HPU's Mikhoki Miyahara and Heloise Le Normand were leading ARTU's Sofia Ragona and Maria Andrisani 5-3 but went unfinished.
 
The Sharks won four of the six singles flights, with the biggest victory coming at No. 1 as Busson handed seventh ranked Stanikova 6-1, 6-4 to start the roll.
 
Miyahara then won at No. 3 in an upset, beating 34th ranked Alma Thell-Lentorp 6-4, 6-2. The Sharks claimed their third point at No. 6 when Nichole Ballach defeated Alcantara 7-5 in the first set, but was down 0-3 in the second when Alcantara retired from the match.
 
ARTU's Andrisani pulled the Urban Knights within a point with a 6-2, 6-3 victory over Ikioka at No. 5.
 
The Sharks won the match when Echeverria beat Taisiia Andrieieva 6-3, 6-4 for the clinching fourth point. Elhadj was leading 44th ranked Klara Thell-Lenntorp 6-2, 2-6, 3-1 when the match was called.
 
The fourth ranked Sharks meet top-ranked Barry (Fla.) at the Northview Courts on Thursday, with the match scheduled for 7 a.m. HST (9 a.m. PST).